My father passed away in 2021 - we're still filing his tax returns in 2025. When does this end?

Thanks for the explanation. Is there any way we can push for closure? The executor seems extremely cautious and won't finalize anything until every possible tax issue is resolved, which feels excessive at this point.

You do have some options to push for closure. First, you could request a formal meeting with the executor to establish a timeline for final distribution. Most states have laws about "reasonable timeframes" for estate settlement. You might also consider consulting with an estate attorney who could advise whether the executor is being overly cautious. Sometimes executors can be held personally liable for tax issues, which explains their caution, but after four years, you're right to question the timeline. If there are no pending legal matters, complex assets, or active disputes, four years is generally longer than necessary for most estates.

How exactly does this work? Do you just upload all the documents and it tells you what's wrong? I'm dealing with my aunt's estate right now and the executor is driving me crazy with delays.

I'm skeptical about using AI for something as legally complex as estate taxes. Did you have an actual tax professional review everything afterward? I'd be nervous about relying on software for something with potential legal consequences.

You just upload the documents through their secure portal - tax returns, estate inventory, distribution plans, etc. It analyzes everything and identifies potential issues with citations to specific tax code sections. It was incredibly helpful for figuring out which concerns were legitimate and which weren't. Yes, I did have a tax professional review everything after getting the AI analysis. That's actually the best part - I saved thousands in professional fees because the tax attorney only had to focus on the specific issues the system identified instead of reviewing everything from scratch. The attorney confirmed that the AI's analysis was accurate about the executor being overly cautious.

Does this actually work? I've been trying to reach the IRS about my dad's estate tax issue for over a month and keep getting disconnected after waiting on hold for hours.

This sounds like a scam. Why would anyone pay for something you can do yourself by just calling the IRS directly? They're a government agency that has to help you.

Yes, it absolutely works. You schedule a time, they call you when they've reached a human at the IRS, and you're instantly connected. No more waiting on hold or getting disconnected. I had three different estate tax questions that needed clarification, and I got everything resolved in a single call. The IRS is severely understaffed, especially for complex questions about estate taxes. I tried calling directly for weeks and either couldn't get through or was transferred to multiple departments without getting answers. The service basically handles the frustrating part (navigating the phone tree and waiting on hold) so you don't have to.

Can you explain how this reserve amount works? Did you have to go to court to get approval or was this something the executor could decide on their own?

In our case, the executor had discretion to establish a reasonable reserve without court approval. This was specified in my grandfather's will, which gave the executor authority to handle tax matters and create necessary reserves. The way it worked was pretty straightforward. We found an account worth about $45,000. The executor calculated the potential tax liability based on worst-case scenario (highest possible tax bracket plus penalties), which came to about $9,000. They set aside $10,000 to be safe, distributed the remaining $35,000 to the heirs, filed the necessary supplemental tax returns, and then distributed most of the reserve when the actual tax bill came in much lower than expected.

I'm not sure about Form 706 specifically. The estate is definitely under the federal exemption amount. So if that form was already filed and accepted, what does that mean for our situation with finding new accounts?

If Form 706 wasn't required (because the estate is under $13+ million), then finding new accounts means you'll need to file amended Form 1041 returns for the estate and possibly amended 1040 returns for your father's final year if the new account had income in 2021. However, the key point is that once you've reported the newly discovered assets and paid any taxes owed, there shouldn't be ongoing annual filings unless the estate is generating new income each year. If it's just a bank account or investment account that you're liquidating, you report it once and you're done. The executor should be able to calculate the maximum possible tax liability from this new account, set aside that amount, and distribute the rest. After 4 years, they really should have a clear process for handling these situations rather than indefinitely delaying distributions.